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Penasco Elementary

Q: Is Penasco Elementary a good school?

Penasco Elementary ranks 112 th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

112^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 345 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Better than 68% of New Mexico elementary schools

Summary

Penasco Elementary is a public elementary school located in Penasco, New Mexico, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 133 students. The school is part of the Penasco District, which is ranked 34 out of 82 districts in New Mexico and is rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Penasco Elementary has shown mixed performance on state assessments compared to the state average. In 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (45.16%) were slightly below the state average (44.19%), while its proficiency rates in Mathematics (17.74%) were significantly lower than the state average (26.81%). However, the school has performed better in certain grade levels and subject areas, such as 5th-grade English Language Arts (60%), which was significantly higher than the state average (41.83%). The school's performance has been inconsistent over the years, with its ranking among New Mexico elementary schools ranging from 112 (2024-2025) to 327 (2022-2023).

Penasco Elementary faces some unique challenges, including a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (89.47% eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024) and a relatively high student-teacher ratio (26 students per teacher in 2023-2024). Compared to nearby schools, such as Taos Integrated School Of Arts and Taos Municipal Charter, which have significantly higher proficiency rates, Penasco Elementary's performance is generally lower. However, the school outperforms some nearby traditional public schools, such as Enos Garcia Elementary and Ranchos De Taos Elementary, which are part of the Taos District.

127

Students ?

17.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,409

Per pupil spending ?

100%

Free/discounted lunch ?

13 School Rd
Penasco, NM 87553

(575) 587-2230

District: Penasco

Students who attend Penasco Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Penasco Middle
High:	Penasco High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

87.4%

American Indian:

6.3%

White:

4.7%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Penasco Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 37th percentile in 2013 → 68th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 31 percentile points since 2013

✓Above the New Mexico median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school32%

District avg29%

New Mexico avg35%

112^th of 345

New Mexico public elementary schools ?

Top 32%▲ up 16 pts since 2015

From top 48% (2015) to top 32% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of New Mexico Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

34^th of 82Penasco among New Mexico districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	56.3	112 of 345	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	163 of 413	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.9	327 of 435	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.7	190 of 420	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	25.5	295 of 383	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.6	279 of 374	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	30.0	298 of 410	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	44.1	202 of 421	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2014	51.9	200 of 442	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	37.8	259 of 412	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	37.0	262 of 398	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.7	226 of 402	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2010	38.5	279 of 419	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.2	182 of 411	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	66.2	109 of 405	73.1%	★★★★☆
2007	52.1	186 of 398	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	53.3	169 of 390	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2005	40.9	238 of 389	38.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	78.8	56 of 398	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	49.5	187 of 390	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.1	90 of 395	77.2%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	57.0	135 of 384	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	29.0	288 of 395	27.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	44.3	172 of 389	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.6	213 of 329	35.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	57.0	102 of 325	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.4	108 of 356	69.7%	★★★★☆
2023	30.3	308 of 426	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	50.1	153 of 410	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.9	257 of 356	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2024	28.3	268 of 397	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	12.0	396 of 414	4.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	28.8	253 of 333	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2022	69.8	19 of 99	80.8%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Mexico percentile	Rating
2025	53.6	119 of 304	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.6	113 of 339	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.5	313 of 413	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Female (2024)86th percentile+25 vs school

Native American (2022)81st percentile+26 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)69th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2024)65th percentile+4 vs school

White (2025)61st percentile-7 vs school

Male (2024)32nd percentile-28 vs school

By subject vs New Mexico (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts45%~ state avg

Science36%+7 vs state

Mathematics18%-9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Penasco Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				NM-ASR Science (2025)			NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2025)							NM-MSSA Mathematics (2025)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NM-ASR Science 5th Grade	NM-ASR Science 8th Grade	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 4th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 5th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 6th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 7th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts 8th Grade	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics 3rd Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 4th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 5th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 6th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 7th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics 8th Grade	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Penasco Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	13 School Rd	Penasco	87553	Taos County	Penasco	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 587-2230	127	7	17.8	100.0%	6 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	111 (87.4%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)	56.3	112^th of 345 public elementary schools	67.5%		51.9	163^rd of 413 public elementary schools	60.5%	51	36.0			36.4		60.0				45.2			36.0				17.7	$14,409
Dixon Elementary	Public	K-6	220 New Mexico Highway 75	Dixon	87527	Rio Arriba County	Espanola	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 579-4325	50	5	10.5	100.0%	7 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (74.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (4.0%)								(n/a)										51.5							39.4	$12,218
Ranchos De Taos Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Ranchos Elementary Rd	Ranchos De Taos	87557	Taos County	Taos	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 758-5202	225	22	10.0	100.0%	17 (7.6%)	0 (0.0%)	195 (86.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	29.7	222^nd of 345 public elementary schools	35.7%		32.2	258^th of 413 public elementary schools	37.5%	36				43.3	29.6	32.3				34.3	26.7		25.8				18.1	$12,003
Taos International School	Public, Charter	K-8	118 Este Es Road	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos International School	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 751-7115	179	17	10.8	100.0%	12 (6.7%)	3 (1.7%)	156 (87.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	2 (1.1%)	3 (1.7%)								(n/a)			22.6		44.8					40.2							11.2	$13,101
Taos Municipal Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	1303 Paseo Del Canon East	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(575) 751-7222	216	17	12.6	100.0%	66 (30.6%)	2 (0.9%)	131 (60.6%)	4 (1.9%)	6 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.2%)	65.9	86^th of 345 public elementary schools	75.1%		86.7	42^nd of 413 public elementary schools	89.8%	44	53.9	59.1	56.3	52.2	32.0	69.2	52.0	53.9	77.3	55.8			53.9	32.0	42.3		31.3	$8,687
Taos Integrated School Of Arts	Public, Charter	K-8	118 Toalne Street	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos Integrated School Of Arts	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 758-7755	215	18	11.7	80.5%	75 (34.9%)	2 (0.9%)	107 (49.8%)	1 (0.5%)	21 (9.8%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (3.7%)	67.6	81^st of 345 public elementary schools	76.5%		63.5	122^nd of 413 public elementary schools	70.5%	41	56.5	39.1	47.8	34.8	56.5	65.2	52.2	56.0	52.2	52.9	34.8	56.5	39.1	39.1	44.0	30.4	40.7	$9,341
Velarde Elementary	Public	K-6	State Road 68 County Road 51	Velarde	87582	Rio Arriba County	Espanola	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 852-4331	39	4	8.9	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (97.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										36.4								$14,322
Enos Garcia Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	305 Don Fernando	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(575) 758-5202	348	34	10.3	100.0%	21 (6.0%)	2 (0.6%)	308 (88.5%)	2 (0.6%)	10 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	23.5	269^th of 345 public elementary schools	22.0%		25.4	300^th of 413 public elementary schools	27.4%	31	13.8			38.5	37.9	32.8				36.3	15.4						11.3	$10,374
Chimayo Elementary	Public	K-6	State Rd 76 County Rd 93 Buil	Chimayo	87522	Rio Arriba County	Espanola	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 351-4207	112	8	14.9	100.0%	2 (1.8%)	1 (0.9%)	103 (92.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)							68.2			41.3				36.4			20.6	$13,418
Taos Day School	Public	K-8	200 Rotten Tree Rd	Taos	87571	Taos County	Taos Day School	(n/a)	No	No	Yes	(575) 758-3652	101	4	25.2	97.0%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	101 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Penasco Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Penasco Elementary?

Students at Penasco Elementary are 87% Hispanic, 6% American Indian, 5% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Penasco Elementary attend?

Students who attend Penasco Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Penasco Middle
High : Penasco High

How many students attend Penasco Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 127 students attended Penasco Elementary.

Is Penasco Elementary a good school?

Penasco Elementary ranks 112^th of 345 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Penasco Elementary in?

Penasco

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Mexico Public Education Department.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.